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The Burning of Dimlight Part 1
His clothing clung to his body, adhered tightly to his flesh by a weeks worth of sweat and dirt. Pain shot through his whole body on every small movement either he or his horse made radiating from the numerous saddles sores, making it impossible to find comfort. He looked out over the vast expanse of land in front of him forcing himself to repeat the words "We're almost there, this is the end game." over and over again in his head. These were the last words Rhudau left him with before he departed, and they may have been the only thing keeping him moving at this point. Greyne reigned his horse in, slowing his movements to a crawl as he reached the apex of the hill looming over Dimlight. Halia Mortes was barely visible on the horizon thanks to the incredible clarity of the air in Oden. The rising peak a reminder to all the men in Greyne's troupe that there goal was approaching ever faster. Though it was a cool night no one was complaining, two straight days riding with little rest had made everyone grateful for any break and they all knew they wouldnt be able to appreciate the soft breeze for much longer. The whole camp was alive with movement but there was a surprising lack of noise as Greyne approached Thanor's tent. He pushed the flap aside and stepped through the threshold while Thanor finished adjusting the straps on the leather breastplate he favored in battle, an amalgamation of many different sources of leather all painstakingly dyed black with a single white handprint slapped dead center over his heart. Greyne knew this handprint was Thanor's own as he had completed his trials and emblazoned his own breastplate long ago. Thanor was an older man easily into his fourties with heavily receeding black hair starting to show signs of greying and weathered skin a similar texture to the armor he painstakingly adjusted to his body. Thanor barely glanced up as Greyne entered the tent and found himself a seat just beside him. He seemed to read the uneasiness on Greyne's face without even taking a second look and jostled him slightly right as he settled saying: "Now's not the time to be having doubts boy, you're not old enough to be contemplating life so fiercely" "But doesn't this seem wrong Thanor, Why would there be a guard outpost in this small village, I've never doubted Rhudau before but..." Thanor cut him off "And you should keep it that way, think of what he alone has sacrificed for you, what you have achieved because of his guidance. That man would never steer you wrong." "Is that to say you see nothing wrong with this?" Greyne retorted quickly. Thanor paused for a moment, shrugged and said "It's hard to see wrong when you aren't looking for it... remember, I've always been a soldier, akin to an arrow. Point me in a direction and let me fly. You young ones do all the thinking for me." Greyne laughed lightly "You don't give yourself enough credit. If you weren't a thinking man Rhudau wouldn't have put you as the second in command, everyone knows I'm just a decoration. An ornament to be placed at the front and admired." "Boy, I've never seen a decoration that can do as much damage as you. There is merit to leading by example, and no one in The Hand is as exemplary as you." "You're too kind. If you talk me up too much I may charge out onto the battlefield without a weapon in overconfidence." Greyne quipped. "You know as well as I do you're not the type to take that risk." Thanor added with a smile. Greyne nodded his agreement and started to stand "It's about time we get this underway and over with" Thanos stood and grabbed Greyne's arm and drew him into a hug "May we see each other at the end of this all" "You can treat me to breakfast tomorrow morning" Greyne said grinning. "It'll be my pleasure" Thanor said smiling sadly as Greyne exited the tent, his expression immediately turning somber. "I hope that we'll still be friends at tomorrow's breakfast." He said under his breath, belting his sword to his hip and and admiring his shield, a small punch shield with a snake weaving in and out of itself ending with its own tail in its mouth painted onto the front in white. "We're almost done old friend, soon you'll be hanging up gathering dust, but until then help me keep that boy safe." He pleaded, picking the shield up gingerly and pushing his way out of the tent. Three hours before sunrise Greyne and a small scouting party of no more than fifteen men made their way into the outskirts of the town. There was no resistance as they started entering outlying houses and dispatching the 'guards'. Greyne wondered why Thanor made sure he was always watching the entrances and never going inside to do the dirty work. He threw these thoughts aside and turned his attention to the job at hand, he knew he would get his turn at killing when the alarms were raised and the main force came pouring from the center of the town. A thunderous crash erupted from the inn two doors down from Greyne's post as a Hand of Men soldier was launched back six feet along with several bricks formerly making up the doorjam. A man in a kilt came rushing out after him swinging a large ornate hammer overhand and bringing it down on the soldiers chest ending his life in a flash. As the man in the kilt turned towards Greyne he realized that he was familiar with him. More people started filing out of the inn and the surrounding houses, the hand of men fell in rank behind Greyne, but something was amiss. Greyne scanned the enemy, he had seen enough fighting to know a soldier when he saw one and these were no soldiers. There were barely three good swords among them interspersed with pitch forks and farming scythes, but he wasnt given enough time to think this fact over. The villagers charged at the Hand of Men, outnumbering them two to one but definitely in inferior gear. What they lacked in armor they made up for in ferocity and they quickly broke the line of The Hand. Greyne did his best to defend against the onslaught of attacks but was knocked unconscious by a swift hammer blow to the back of the head. Greyne Awoke looking out over his hometown. People were moving about their daily lives, putting out the laundry and making their way to and from the market. he looked around in a stupor, "How can this be?" he thought to himself as a small child ran straight through him as if he weren't there. He tried to look around for details but everything seemed hazy, and out of focus. Before he could steady himself flashes of black started flickering in his peripheral vision, like shadows jumping out of the ground and swallowing up the villagers all around him. No matter where he looked he could never quite catch a glimpse of any of the marauders in the act until one ran straight past him. He passed by glancing over almost as if he saw Greyne standing there and upon seeing his face greyne shuddered. The coal black hair was fuller than he knew and only beginning to show signs of pulling back from his forehead, and his weathered features appeared softer but Greyne could never forget the face of this man. Thanor ran past Greyne and into the fray of battle engulfing the town center, cutting down many villagers on his way. As the first torch was thrown and the houses began to burn Greyne was suddenly pulled from his nightmare as a rather large amount of cold water hit him square in the face. "D'ya know what ye've done, laddy?" Laulterec spat, a fire burning behind his words. End of Part 1 Category:World Lore